My favorite gift ever was the bike my parents gave me for my 8th birthday: a Campus Green Schwinn stingray with green and silver banana seat, stingray handlebars and fabulous flowered basket. And dig those pants, will you? I had my own ideas about fashion from an early age. In the basket, my dog Charlie.
I have no idea what this gift is from earlier the same evening but, clearly, I was hoping for the green bike. Take a gander at that decor: the pine paneling (which I believe is in vogue again), the burnt orange shag carpet (which is not) and the hobnail milk glass compote on the end table (Eddie Ross anyone?). And not to be missed: the Early American furniture!!Fast forward to 7th grade, apres Christmas, where Charlie and I are admiring my new pink plaid pants. Second only to my favorite pair of pants ever: purple crushed velvet a la Prince circa 6th grade. I used to wear them to the bus stop in winter and they would freeze solid; they literally crunched when I sat down. I loved them so...
You'll notice the same Early American chair as in our previous house, now paired with brown and white toile curtains (I could swear there were war scenes) and Federal-style lamp. If you could only see the objets d' wall art flanking the fireplace: eagles made of glued-on sequins. I will have to find a photo for you.
Oh, yes. Focus upper left. Eagles with glued-on sequins created by my mother.
My dad, Mike Brady, would kill me and never speak to me again if he knew I was posting this photo of him. Luckily, he doesn't read my blog. I keep telling them and they keep saying, "Blog? What?" I say, "Never mind."
My aunt, however, reads this and will be laughing her ass off about now. xo as
16 comments:
My parent's don't read mine either. My mother tries, but I'm always mortifying her. I had a pair of red Gloria Vanderbilt corduroys that I adored. I thought I was one hot tamale!
My banana seat bike was "Yellow Rose of Texas" theme which was odd since we lived in Michigan at the time.
You had hip parents. Lucky. My parents got through the '70s by pretending they weren't happening. Bless their sweet 80-something hearts, but I've never seen either of them in a pair of jeans, let alone a Mike Brady/ Kate Jackson-ish pose. Was it just the world I grew up in or was it a big deal everywhere when a "grown up" wore jeans in the '70s?
Charlie is adorable and that bike is AWESOME!
Ah, early American...my mom's was that Ethan Allen walnut stained pine, with cushions upholstered in gold burlap. Burned into my brain, along with the paneling and green carpet. We had a lab named Charlie back then too!
Thanks for sharing your photos! My favorite, however, is the one of your parents -- the butterfly shirt kills me! :)
I call dibs on the sequined eagles. I'm not joking...
our sofa was orange 'naugahyde' with an anemic pea green 'naugahyde' lounge chair. one thing is for sure, your mom is beautiful - glowing skin and a million dollar smile. did you grow up around philadelphia? kathi
Sweet ride...
your folks looked awesome.
We have parallel lives. My childhood home was all cutting-edge Ethan Allen early american complete with your shag rug. Ours was avocado green. For my 8th birthday, I got a spider bike with a daisy-covered banana seat.
Your parents are beautiful! Your's look to be happy memories.
Best. Hair. Ever.
I'm with Jill. My mom reads but says I need to put a Mom Warning on certain posts.
And your pictures are treasures.
You're parents are cool, mine are crazy weird-o hippies. my dad has to help everyone and my mom is an attention-whore dancer.
You are AWESOME! That was damn funny, girl!
I'm might just have to go leafing through my "vintage" snapshots from back in the day and post some choice fashion moments, immigrant style. ;0)
do you still have the bike?
Post a Comment